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booting problem for XP

May 30, 2012 2:26AM PDT

I had tried to install ubuntu without creating a partition by installing from iso usin a flash drive after that i restarted my comp after this the computer never booted it keeps saying invalid partition so i downloaded a software called wintoflash n tried bootin it from flashdrive it boots n works fine but when i go to boot menu n select harddisk it does not boot says invalid partition n i have to plugin the pendrive n select it to boot.Please is there a way that i can boot it from my harddisk or do i have to format all drives a install XP all over again.

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The latter
May 30, 2012 4:41AM PDT

The latter. It sounds like you ended up trying to install Ubuntu over top XP, and things didn't go so well. Now you get to wipe everything clean and reinstall. So a tip to get you started is to use the copy of Windows you have working to download all the necessary drivers and the XP service packs as well. I'd go with the offline "network professional" versions just so you don't have to be connected to the Internet. A "virgin" XP install can be compromised in minutes of being exposed to the Internet, so if you can get to at least SP3 level before connecting to the Internet, it will buy you a lot of additional time to get the remaining updates installed.

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booting problem for XP
May 31, 2012 12:20AM PDT

Thanks for the reply I would like to know do i have to format all the drives and install xp all over again or can i fix it with repair of xp in boot menu but this option does not come so im not able to repair xp and why does it boot from the pendrive rather than booting it from harddisk even when the boot priority is HD and CDROM

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I would format
May 31, 2012 2:21AM PDT

I would format myself. You might be able to get things going again with a repair, but you'd still need to reinstall all your programs and there would undoubtedly still be bits of the botched Ubuntu install floating around taking up space. So I would format, just so you know you're starting with a clean slate, and there isn't anything to come back and bite you in the **** later.